Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-10

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been in public life almost continuously;
having been elected clerk of his native
county in 1S49. He received his diploma
If graduation from law school in Lou
isville, Kentucky, in 1851. Immediately
in entering upon the practice of his pro-
fession, his great ability for the concerns
of civil life was evinced. His maslerfnl
command of wide range of legal knowl-
edge, the keenness of his Intellectual pen
etraIion in all questions, the profundity
TO which his great mind delved in the
problems of state. and his power upon
the rostrum at once rendered him con
spicuous in political circles. The very
year in which he came from the law
school bearing its honors, he was elected
member of the legislature, to which po-
sition he was repeatedly returned Before
be was thirty years of age, 1t was appa'
rent that in him was the elements of
great, successful civil leader.
In 1858 by the democratic party he was
elected a member OF congress, TO which
| position of honor he was returned in 1850,
when a great crisis in our nation was at
hand. Slavery's muttered threat TO rend
our beautiful union asunder while the
| political sea in which it fiOated should be
transformed into an ocean of blood, filled
| our land with emotions of deep anxiety,
at once cause Of terror and an insplra-
| ton to heroic patriotism. The very at
mosphere breathed by men WAS charged
with it. and in rapid alterations they
grew faint, and then became courageous;
in their quakings from the chill of fear
| sighed for peace, and then in the desper~
alton of their fever of valOr prayed for
war Logan, democrat by inheritance
and education, an ardent sdmirer and
personal friend of Illinois noble son,
Stephen A Douglas, in the memorable
| Lincoln-Douglss campaign. with charac
| teristic zeal advocated his election. But
when the threats so long muttered in our
| land arrayed themselves in hostile att>
lude, and began really to clothe them>
selves in the hahiliments of war. Logan,
| intoleraut of the very thought of the
republics dissolution. declared himself
ready If need be to shoulder musket for
the defeat of purpose so evil, and 10
secure the supremacy of the nations
| honor in the inauguration of Abraham
| Lincoln IN the Office of the presidency To
which he had been elected, in lawful
manner.
During the winter preceding the war,
| the manifest spirit of disloyalty in the
very halls of legislation, provoked from
him burning philippics. Without that vast
insight into the real purposes of southern
politics which his ideal statesman, Ste
phen A Douglas. as result Of expert
ence possessed; nor yet so clear an under
standing OF the temper of the north, with
all his instincts and prejudices strongly
inclining toward TIE south; and but little
more than a youth, yet himself the recog-
nized leader of his party in Southern Hi
nois, the breaking of the war cloud il flu
Tious storm, left him to drift for time,
/ like rudderless craft from which the
anchor chains have been snapped and the
sails swept away. Overwhelmingly pops
ular with his constituency, which had re-
elected him by sixteen thousand majority
to congress, bis political theories and his
most fondly cherished hopes, from the top
Of all his trust had suddenly fallen into
the dust of despair Douglas in decision
Is quick as the fiery thought of his pom
derous brain saw the situation, and rush-
ing forward with matches logic, stemmed
the horrible evil,ward flowing torrent OF
political thought in Southern Illinois and
by his overmastering political influence
prevented calamity, such as to conjecture
is dread inspiring. But LOgan's nature
was not capable of sudden change. and he
could not with celebrity turn from former
affiliations, until caught in the grip of 8
power superior to himself he was faced
about and with his wanted firmness SCI
upon his feet just in time to catch from
the hand of the falling statesman, afte
whom more than any other he was prone
to model bis life, symbol of supremacy a
his party's leader in his state.
When gracious calm of peace succeed
ed terrific storm of war, our citizen sol
diers, TO whose heroism under God tht
nation owes debt of gratitude for al
unsuIlied flag and undivided republic
with tear filed ewes for the noble slSii
left in cruel graves dug by the RELENTLESS
; hand of war, turned jOyfuliy to the quie
t OF home pursuits. Logan having Finished
active duty as a commander in the field
and unwilling to receive pay for occu
pancy of the military position of com
mander Of the Army Of Tennessee to whicl
he had been appointed, but for which h
had no place in the great plan OF his life
with chaTaC terIstiC honesty he resigned
and returned to the pursuit of the civi
affairs to which he had uureservedlY cou,
seCrated himself He declined appoint
ment to the Office of minister to Mexico
rendered him by President johnson. an
in 1866 was elected congressman at larg,
By sixty thousand majority. lie sus
| tanned an important relation to the ia
r nous Impeachment trial Of Presiden
johnson, and rendered most valuable ser
vice to the government as chairman Of
the committee on military affairs
e In the forty>second congress he enteret
p uponbis duties of senator of the Unite,
States, successor to the lamented Yates
whose beautiful soul was stained, who's
giant intellect was dwarfed and who's
? thrilling oratory changed into the drive
/ Of an imbecilc, by rum, the pet lever 0
power with politicians. With tn
immense grip of his legal mini
upon important principles, the power 0
bis impassioned eloquence, purely origi
< nal, thoroughly interesting and though
provoking, his unique individuality il
method, and his indesCribable magnetism
and unconquerable courage, his was
! scepter of matchless influence. Eudowe
with splendid abilities. inspired by IN
firing energy. all under control of a
invincible will, natures stamp of leader
ship was clearly distinguished an
promptly honored, whether in terribl
! strife of war, or peaceable pursuit Q
civil affairs While it cannot be az
sumed that he was invariably correct hi
sense of Justice in questions of state wa
- of manly breadth, and in defense Of b
| opinions the extent of the use c
his energies and talents was the utmo:
s thatp FIN rnnanura